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Rep. Nancy Mace shows a nude picture of herself in a Congressional hearing to slam her ex-fiancé [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2025-05-20

Author's note: The following diary contains accusations of sex crimes and denials by the accused that they committed those crimes. I have no idea who is telling the truth. And nothing I write should be construed to mean that I believe one side over the other.

On Tuesday, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) displayed in Congress a photograph she claimed was a still from a video she said her former fiancé, Patrick Bryant, took of her without her consent. This is at least the second time she has leveled accusations against Bryant.

On Feb 10, also in Congress, she claimed that Bryant and three other men were guilty of rape, sex trafficking and other sex crimes against her and other female victims. She also accused South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson of failing to prosecute the men after she said she presented his office with evidence.

Note: Wilson may face Mace in the 2026 GOP primaries for SC governor. I am not suggesting that the Representative is trying to hobble a rival. Still, the reader should give it the weight, if any, they think it deserves.

Mace, who has taken to self-marketing like she was born to the pursuit, announced in a string of tweets that she was going to present the nude image of herself.

Just in case anyone missed that tweet, she had another.

I have two thoughts.

One: Mace holds herself up as a champion for women. She presents her anti-sex crime bills as a protection for women everywhere. If they have that effect, then kudos to her.

Yet, while she briefly mentions "many other women," most of her rhetoric addresses only one victim — her. Personal anecdotes have their place. They humanize significant issues. They appeal to our emotions. But by themselves, they are not evidence of anything beyond the limits of the story.

This is not the first time that Mace has said she champions the victims of sex crimes, but then acted in a way that benefits only her. During her February testimony, she displayed a poster reading: VICTIM 843-212-7048 HOTLINE.

Her words suggested this hotline was for all victims of sex crimes. In reality, a caller was greeted with a recorded message saying someone would get back to them.

It turned out the line did not connect with professionals trained in rape counseling. Instead, the call went to Mace's office staffers. Nor was the line meant for every victim. It was only for those women who might have been victimized by the four men Mace identified as sexual criminals.

Two: Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) is one of 535 people in America who can say whatever they want at work — whether it be the absolute truth or a damned lie — without the possibility of facing a defamation suit. Those people are US Representatives and Senators. And their workplace is the US Congress. They have this freedom due to the Constitution's Speech or Debate Clause.

Article 1, Section 6, Clause 1 says:

"The Senators and Representatives ... shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place."

Perhaps some will say this protection redressed an imbalance that has previously favored sexual criminals over the victims of sexual crimes. That might have merit if Mace were a powerless woman who used this immunity as a last resort to get justice.

But Mace is a US Congresswoman. She has clout. No US federal politician is lacking in convenient friends. The court system will not ignore her. Her financial disclosure statement deals in ranges, so it is hard to know her precise net worth. But she likely has money.

So is it fair game for her to use her congressional immunity to pursue actions against the men she has accused of grievous crimes without them having the right to clear their names? Or is it self-serving dirty pool?

Given her status, she should make the accusations outside her safe zone. If she is the victim of heinous crimes, the discovery process alone would be immensely damaging to the men who committed the vile acts. And would aid in leading to the criminal charges she demands be brought against them.

If she doesn't, she uses her rare privilege to slime an ex-lover without allowing him to defend himself.

As I said at the top, I have no solid evidence of who is telling the truth. And as long as Mace uses her constitutional shield, we will unlikely get any — either way.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/5/20/2323441/-Rep-Nancy-Mace-shows-a-nude-picture-of-herself-in-a-Congressional-hearing-to-slam-her-ex-fianc?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=latest_community&pm_medium=web

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